1122 fl profitable Expofition 6, PETITION. elndwhat ifeuen en thatlutle obedience there bealfofome imperfeflion mingled? Be it neuerCo little,if it come fromvs, beyou lure it will haue his dregs and im- puritie. For cuen all our righteoufuetre is like a flayned cloth. But what theist O tweet God. What did he when the midwiveswith a good anion interming- led a lie : Did he refufe their good for their cuill 1 No, no, hee receiued their obedience though thus flayned, and mercifully he turned away his face from the other : as a deerc father, bath an Eagles eie to fpie any thing well in his child, & euen no eie to fee what hewould notfee,beeingthe frailties of his cholen childré wherof they ligh to be difourtbened. And it is a beaten trueth and knowne to vs, that ifhe looked not away from imperfactions and wrath, yea, euen winnowed as it were his childrens aelions, keeping the graine, and blowing away the chaffe with a breath ofinercieinChrift, hec Ilsould neuer accept any obedience in this world at any mans hand. e4las thenwhy fhauld wee feare fo often and much as we doo, and faint, fn" allrhiugt are thus comfortable to the Lordes Children. Iere.4.4. O fir, theft feares and wrefllingsand fpirituall flruglings that the godly are e- uer (-tibieft vnto, are as the Lords plowe to breake vp the fallowe ground of our hearts,& to teare them that otherwife would bewhole lumps,vnfit to receiuefeed into fine finali earth, loft and melow,and fruitfull, that no fooner the fee de may be throwne in,but it linketh and is couered,and fetteth it Celle to fruftifìe, when Mat. 13.4 otherwife it would not, nor could notvpon whole ground, but lying onely vpon the outward face,and not linking, the fouleswould deuoure it , or at leafi it take no rooting. And therfore trice neceirarieand profitable are thefefpirituall buf- fets now and then to worke in vs that broken and contrite heart which the Lord Pfal.5z. fhall neuer defpife. To take from vs our Ilonie hearts and to giue vs fiethie in E e.36.z6 their places. Let them bee then as the Lard pleafeth, efpecially when bee hath 2.C°. r o. r 3 giuen vs fo fweete apromife, that beewill Miner laymore vpon v s than bee will makevs able tobeare. Let him plowe vs, and brute vs,and breake vs at his plea - lure, it is the Lord, let himdoe whatfeemeth him bell, he knoweth ourmould,& his mercy helpe vs in all our feares, Amen. eilnd Amen fay Iagaineto this prayer, leauin youncw toyourlibertietogoforwards with other temptations as you will. Not to halm It is a fpi ritual' triall many times to Gods children to cry and pray,and as they think, not to be heard, becaufe their petitions are not by and by graunted. But ourpreyer they forget then other deere ones of the Lord and the Lordsoften prallife. For heardbyandDauidn auanyPfalmesfaith, Itrie and thou heareflnot. lob faith, When lcrievn- bJ to thee thou doe fl no heare mee, suither regardeff me when I fland vp. The woman of Mat b.1 p. Canaan cried hartily, and receiued no comfort of long, yet did he heare her wel heauiner of enough, but the endmade amendes, and fo lhall it to vs all, as may be our good heart. which he bell knoweth and not wee. It is a temptation to bee beanie hearted, Pea t7.iz, and we thinke, O Lord, why fhould I be thus. Surely forrowe confumeth the 2S 2c. life, and a cheerefull heart prolongeth our claim. But yet wee muliknowewhat pfa3. I°. befalleth the godly. e yfouleispowredoutvpponmeeandthedayesofafitlionhaue raken hold oponme,fayth lob in his heautnes. Daniels foule was fad, and it would Pfa'42' not prefentlybelighted. Yeafrom the end/ oftheearth,Caithhe,willlc/ell vnto thee whé Pf.6s.2- my heart is inheauineffe. cIIy heart is[ mittendowne andwithered likegrafe ,fo that I for- Pfa. r ° r.4. get to ease my bread : with many fuch places. Sometime forfin: fometime for word - lyaccidents ,forros'willalfaultthegodly, andbeing men and womenwétnuflbe Chereful' nes content to endure the fosares incident to our nature. Yet euer rembriisg to hold andmirth. faith &aChrillian meafure i ì al ourfadnes. And many times beating it intoour Rom. t 2. r 2 minds,that a cheerful hart pleafeth god &nnan : Reioyce in hope, faith the Apoftle, ?hilip:3 , r . reioycv in the Lord, reioyce in the Lord al way, again l fay reioyce & euermore reioyce. What inn
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